Feel Outside the Box
by Hanmyo
Summary: When Shawn takes a new case that could put him in a potentially dangerous situation, Henry is less than thrilled. Could there be a way for them to talk without fighting?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the USAnetwork or Psych! Although a shirt or half-consumed latte would be lovely :)

AN - Alright!! This should be fun! This is actually the first Psych fic I ever wrote. However, there was one I was able to post before this one XD I had to finish this one first. I broke it up into separate chapters for easier reading... I hope!

Anyway! I hope yall enjoy the story! And thanks in advance for reading!

Summary: Spencer men aren't really known for opening up to eachother, at least not when it concerns their true feelings. When Shawn takes a new case that could put him in a potentially dangerous situation, Henry is less than thrilled. Could there be a way for the them to talk without fighting?

Special thanks to Smalltown for Beta testing the story for me! She's the awesome!

Feel Outside the Box

By Tippy

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Henry Spencer let the back door slide shut a little to hard; the resounding bang sending a shiver through the deck boards. Bypassing one of the chairs, he took up a spot on the end of the porch and stared out at the beach front. He didn't miss the faint sound of a motorcycle revving or the fading growl of the engine as it sped away.

There were only a few things in this world that could push him into overwhelming frustration and anger, and his son happened to be one of them. It was almost routine, now. Shawn would come over with stories of new schemes to get the police on the right track, usually involving situations that could get him hurt or killed, and almost every visit would end in heated words, slammed doors and silent brooding. Today was no different, and Henry shook his head as he recalled the bruising around his son's jaw.

"It's nothing, dad! And it's not like I've never been hit before!" Shawn had thrown his bike helmet onto the sofa before shooting out his arms and waving them in frustration.

"That's not the point, Shawn. You deliberately put yourself in harm's way going after those guys." The elder Spencer stood on the other side of the living room, arms crossed and a hard glare aimed at his son. "What do you think would have happened if you hadn't been able to bluff your way out of there?"

"But it didn't happen! And I found enough evidence to at least get the police to check the place out!" Shawn returned his father's glare, determined to get his point across. "It's a win situation! Why can't you just accept that? Maybe say 'Hey, Shawn! Way to get the bad guys!' No! If it's not done your way, it's wrong!"

At this point, the argument had continued to escalate, finally ending in a stalemate, angered huffs and slamming doors.

Henry finally took a seat on the steps leading into his backyard, letting his head fall into his hands as he tried to alleviate the renewed anger that resurfaced with the memory. It took him a little longer than he liked, and the growing headache wasn't helping.

A short time passed before he finally lifted his head to stare out at the ocean again, only to find a young girl standing in his line of sight. In an instant, he figured her to be about eleven or twelve years old, her shoulder-length, blond hair too light to not be natural and her department-store-cute clothes betraying a parent's style. Nothing odd to be found about her appearance, except possibly the fact that she was staring at him.

The two shared locked gazes in silence for a short moment before Henry decided to intervene. "Hi there..." He lifted a hand to wave, and even as his actions registered in his own mind, the girl was already stepping away. She was gone before he made it to his feet.

Henry stood for a moment, confused and a bit weirded out by the short interaction. He tried to recall the children he'd seen in the neighborhood before, but her face wasn't one he recognized. Probably a tourist's kid, he decided after some thought.

Letting out a dismissive sigh, he turned and headed back into the house. He let his thoughts drift back to his son as he passed through the living room, gritting his teeth at the realization that his frustration had not lessened. Understanding his son's motives for being so reckless was like trying to hook a shark with a paper clip; frustrating and pointless. Why couldn't his son be more like fishing? A silly concept maybe, but Henry knew fishing; knew what baits to use to get what he wanted, not to mention how relaxing the sport could be.

His musings were soon interrupted as a slight knock sounded at the sliding glass door. Surprise evident on his face, he turned to see who was there. The girl from before stood outside patiently, a smile on her face and a small, paper-towel-wrapped package in her hand. Pulling himself out of his stupor, Henry casually moved to the door and slid it open.

"Hello again," he greeted, giving her an awkward smile. "What can I do for you?"

Her smile widened and she held up the package to him. "Mom said I could give this to you."

Hesitantly, he reached down and took the gift, still watching the girl. "Thank you." He tried to sound cheerful as he unfolded the paper towel to reveal three small, chocolate chip cookies. "My goodness, these look delicious! May I ask what they're for?"

A rosy blush brightened her cheeks at his question, making her look much younger than his earlier guess. Her eyes dropped to the floor as she squeaked out, "You were scared... and I brought you cookies," she looked up at him, her smile broadening, "'cause they always cheer me up!"

Henry was about to agree with the child, but stopped as her words registered. Scared? Where did that come from? He thought quickly. Yeah, I was angry... slammed the door hard enough for everyone to figure that out...

"What's your name?" he finally asked.

An odd expression crossed her face as she looked up at him. "Jenna McGillie..."

McGillie? Right, the couple that moved into the house a couple blocks down... He had forgotten about their daughter. He pulled the door open farther and motioned for her to step back as he moved outside. "Why don't we have a seat?" He moved towards the steps and she quickly sat down next to him. "Have a cookie."

She eagerly took one, smiling. "Thanks!"

"You're welcome." He took one himself, taking a small bite. "So, Miss Jenna, what makes you think I was scared?"

She stopped mid-chew and hesitantly turned to look at the older man beside her. "Weren't you?"

Henry was about to protest when a woman's voice called from the end of the walkway.

"Jenna!" The woman, who looked to be in her mid-thirties, stood with a smile, waving to Henry as she approached. "Mr. Spencer, how are you? I hope my daughter's been behaving herself?" She gave the girl a soft pat on the head.

Pushing away the thoughts concerning the girl's query, he stood, plastering a smile on his face. "Mrs. McGillie! Yes, we were enjoying those cookies! Seems your little girl here knew just what I needed."

"Ah yes, she's pretty good at reading people." She gave Jenna's shoulder a soft squeeze. "Well, I hate to take her away, but she's got some homework to get done."

At that, Jenna let out a pathetic whimper, pouting up at her mother.

Henry smiled, his thoughts back on Shawn, only more reminiscent of earlier years when homework was a battle. It was at this moment that he realized something bizarre. His son, the boy he'd helped raise, was in a job that could get him killed and that thought... scared him. Yeah, he'd wanted his son to become a cop, and yeah that was a dangerous job too, but at least he would have had backup and a gun. As a 'psychic', his detective work left him unarmed and with Gus as his only extra line of defense; a scary thought in and of itself. Of course he was scared! What father wouldn't be?

A small hand slipped into his and he blinked away the clouds of concern, looking down to see Jenna, a soft frown on her face. She knew... He couldn't understand how... but he wanted to find out.

Some quick thinking gave him an idea. "Hey, I'm having a barbeque later tonight. I'd love for you and your family to come... get to know each other, let you meet my son?" If he'll answer his phone...

Jenna's face lit up, her gaze turning to her mother. "Please can we? Please please please?"

The woman was hesitant for a moment before speaking. "I think that would be alright, but only if we can bring the dessert," she stated with a smile to Henry.

"Deal! 5:30?"

"We'll be here." She offered one last smile before turning to leave, her daughter in tow.

"Bye, Mr. Spencer!" Jenna called back with a wave.

He returned the gesture, moving towards the door to make a phone call. It hadn't been all that long since the fight, but he was hopeful that his son would have cooled down by now.

oOoOoOo

"Guess who got a lead on the case!" An overexcited Shawn bounced into the room, stretching his arms out in a look-at-me manner. He let his bike helmet drop lightly onto his desk.

"Shawn!" Gus almost growled. "Where have you been? I spent half the night trying to get away from a group of college girls in a bowling alley who thought I was-" He stopped his tirade, noticing the discoloration and slight swelling on the left side of his friends jaw. "What happened to your face?"

The pseudo-psychic let out an exasperated sigh as Gus stood from his desk and walked over. "Nothing a smoothie wouldn't fix, and hey! Did I tell you I found a clue?"

Gus frowned, letting the injury slide for the moment. "Okay, so you found something, like what?"

"Oh, like the fact that there's a door behind said bowling alley that a large number of people frequent in and out of, most of which happen to be older, wealthy men-"

"- Who might just be looking for some illegal fighting entertainment-"

"- Probably involving our missing teens-"

"- And that guy they found murdered! Shawn!" Gus's eyes were wide as the links came together. "We need to tell the Chief!"

At this, Shawn pursed his lips, raising a finger to calm his friend.

"What? Shawn, you know where they're holding these fights... you need to tell the police." Gus sobered, trying to understand why the man across from him would disagree.

"Problem... I know something's going on..."

"But?" Gus pressed.

"But I wasn't able to get in to be sure. For all we know, it could just be a bunch of guys the bowling alley owner knows and they're just having cocktail parties."

"Cocktail parties? Come on!"

"Okay, maybe not a cocktail party, but we don't know for sure and I can't do my thing," he waved his fingers over his temple, "if I'm not... pretty sure it's the place."

There was silence for a moment, long enough for a nervousness to grow in the pit of Gus's stomach. "You want to sneak in there, don't you?"

A wide grin shot across Shawn's face.

"No, Shawn!" Gus shot back, firmly. "It's way too dangerous. And if I had to guess, which I don't, I'd say you got hit trying to get in there last night. No way, Shawn! You're gonna have to find a way to get Chief Vick to have the place checked out!"

Shawn was about to continue the argument when the high pitched bree of his cell phone sounded. He kept his eyes on Gus as he pulled the device from the pocket of his jacket, flipped it open and gave a firm 'hello'. He was slightly surprised to hear his dad's voice on the other end.

"Dad? Wow, that's gotta be a record... or something, you know... being that you usually take like... a couple hours to call-"

"Shawn, be quiet for a minute." Henry paused, hoping that would quiet his son.

"- Usually it's my home phone, answering machine, but not my cell... and this soon-"

"Shawn! I'm not calling about the argument," he clarified, realizing shortly after he'd been telling a half truth. There was a connection to their fight, but not pertaining to his son.

"Ah, so this is just a social call then? How's the weather and all that?" Shawn asked flippantly.

"Actually, I called to invite you and Gus to dinner." Henry replied flatly, leaving the impression that the invitation might be taken back.

"Dinner? Why?" Gus was giving him a questioning look. "It's not poisoned is it?"

"N-... Shawn, no it's not poisoned." There was a short pause, as if the other man was trying to calm down. "I invited one of the neighbors over and I wanted you to meet her."

Shawn's brow wrinkled at that and he had to keep himself from stammering. "Her?... Like you met some woman and now you wanna show her your son? Eww, dad, no!"

There was a short snort of laughter through the phone, "Trust me, she's far too young to be dating me. She's coming over at 5:30, so I expect the two of you before then. I mean it, Shawn. You need to meet her." There was an audible click as his father hung up.

Shawn pulled the phone away from his ear, and the two friends stared at it for a moment before the pseudo-psychic spoke. "That was weird..."

"So..." Gus started, "We going to your dad's for dinner?"

He had to think for a moment, trying to figure what his dad might be planning. Finally, he caved, figuring he could at least get some free food out of the experience. "Yeah... but first, we'll stop by the station, give them something vague enough that they'll check the bowling alley out."

Gus's eyes brightened as he grinned. "I told you!"

"Gus, it's only for the chance to check the place out. Besides, no one's going to be there during the day. I'm pretty certain we can find something... unless these people have some insane ability to clean up all evidence. The best we'll be able to do is point the police in a semi-right direction." He moved to the mini-fridge, pulling out a soda. "We'll still have to check it out on our own."

Gus frowned, understanding some of his friend's logic, but still in disagreement. "I don't think so... I am not letting you drag me into another life threatening situation!" Of course, deep down, he knew better. Even as he watched the grin spread on Shawn's face after taking a sip of the soft drink, he knew he'd be following the man through that back door.

Tbc...

oOoOoOo

Yay! Chapter one! So the story is actually finished as previously mentioned... sorta... I split it up into 5 chapters so itll be an easier read D It might be 1 or 2 days before i post the next chapter! Hope yall enjoyed the start!

Thanks for reading and Lots o' love!!

Tippy


	2. Chapter 2

AN - Weeee chapter 2! I hope yall are enjoying this story :D I've actually got a couple more ideas, one of which Im working on with smalltown, and another thats just in the outline phase, BUT you're gonna want to get to know my OC Jenna, and smalltown's OC Lucy if you want to get the most out of the stories :) Alright! thats enough of that! Hope yall enjoy the chapter and thanks for reading!

Feel Outside the Box

Chapter 2

By Tippy

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

A visit to the SBPD had found the detectives staring at a board with files and images concerning the missing people and possible fight clubs stuck to it. They were all quiet; Jules taking up a spot in a chair, her chin resting in her hands as she tried to make out the connections. Lassiter had a mug hanging in his clenched fist, his jaw tight with hidden frustration.

Shawn couldn't have been happier! They were getting nowhere, which meant a vision concerning a certain bowling alley would be taken with little disagreement. And it had. The Chief had allowed his slightly vague vision to play out, pretend bowling balls being hurled towards the head detective's desk.

They jumped into the vehicles after a name had been obtained for the establishment, and within minutes they arrived at a slightly empty parking lot. For a place of fun-times-to-be-had, it was strange that business would be slow this time of day. And as they pulled up to the back of the building, they noticed the figure standing at the back door, keys in hand.

Lassiter had wasted no time, jumping out of his car with O'Hara on his heels. Shawn and Gus exited their vehicle moments after, watching the figure spin in their direction as the dark haired detective called out sharply; he ran.

"Whoa!" Shawn and Gus had exclaimed in unison at the unexpected reaction, the man disappearing around the other end of the building with Lassiter, Juliet and a handful of officers close behind.

The take-down came a few seconds later as they heard sudden shouts from the police, followed shortly after by silence and the reappearance of the detectives, man in tow.

"Dude, that's the owner." Shawn whispered to Gus as they watched the group's advance.

Gus's brow furrowed. "Seriously? And he ran? Seems stupid to me."

Shawn's brow rose. "Yes, yes it does..." His thoughts were interrupted as the group made their way over, Lassiter shoving the man into the backseat of one of the squad cars after retrieving the door keys.

The two Psych detectives watched the keys pass to O'Hara, who motioned for four of the officers to follow her, leaving two with Lassiter and their runner.

"Our cue to check this place out," Shawn whispered, swiftly moving after Jules, Gus a step behind him.

The door opened to a staircase that led into a basement. New and used bowling pins, balls, and miscellaneous machinery lined the walls revealing nothing out of the ordinary as Shawn glanced over the space. _Yep, this place has been cleared out..._ He let his mind focus. The room was big enough to house an illegal boxing coalition; covering the entire underside of the bowling alley. However, these guys looked to be professionals; never leave a place 'dirty'. _No one's that good..._ and even as that thought crossed through his mind, he saw the water-soaked paper, torn in half with dark smudges of ink running across it. He could make out numbers and letters in the mess, possibly names, times, dates... he couldn't be sure. Storing the information away for later, he continued his sweep over the basement.

"...Forensics will be here in fifteen." The blond, junior detective was talking to a few of the officers, detailing some of the procedures needed to keep the room undamaged. She shooed the group off, catching Shawn's gaze. She spoke softly as she approached him. "You picking up anything?"

He was silent for a moment, looking over the room again before he closed his eyes, his fingers going to his temples. His brow creased as he began to 'see' images. "There's... people... men mostly... and-" he paused dramatically, "-cats? ... Lions! No... tigers? Jaguars! I see... jaguars and... Leather? Why do I smell leather?"

His eyes squinted open as he looked to Jules, the gears in her head turning. "Uh... leather pants?" He shook his head at her guess, seeming to strain a little more in concentration. "Leather... seats?! Leather seats in a Jaguar!"

He opened his mouth to disagree, when Gus chimed in. "Aren't Jaguars pretty expensive? Wouldn't that mean these people would have a lot of money?"

"Like in expensive leather wallets, maybe?" Jules turned to Shawn for confirmation, receiving a sharp 'yes' from the psychic.

"The people here must have been wealthy, but... wait... it's dark! Did someone turn out the lights?!" He started flailing his arms out erratically. O'Hara and Gus watched him, stepping back as to not come in contact with Shawn's flying fists. The thrashing stopped moments later. "Darkness... they came at night!"

"Alright, I'll have to relay this to the Chief. We may have to set up for a possible return." She turned walking back outside, her cell phone out to call Chief Vick.

"You think they'll be back tonight?" Gus asked, after the two were alone.

"Probably not." He received a confused look. "It takes a while for these things to get set up, people to contact, fighters to acquire. Maybe a few more days, but not tonight and certainly not here."

Gus visibly relaxed at that, glad for the fact that if Shawn really wanted to get back into this place he'd have to get past the police. And that wasn't going to happen.

"Oh, but I did find a list, or at least part of one." Shawn said brightly. "Could lead to something big! I need to get back to the office."

He'd quickly headed for the exit before Gus could ask any questions. As they emerged from the basement, his friend finally got a word out. "We can't, Shawn."

"And why not?" The pseudo-psychic turned, walking backwards to their car.

"We've gotta be at your dad's place for dinner in..." he glanced at his watch, "thirty minutes."

Shawn let a goofy frown play across his face at the reminder. "Fine, I can work on the case there."

Satisfied, Gus moved to the driver's side door, opening it and sliding into the small, blue car as Shawn entered on the other side. Moments later, they'd left the parking lot.

oOoOoOo

Henry looked up from his burger patties to see his son and Gus step through the front door. He wasn't surprised to see Shawn head straight for his desk, grabbing a sheet of paper from one of the drawers. "So," he called, returning to the patties as the two young men entered the kitchen, "what did you find?"

Gus spoke up when it appeared Shawn had no intention of answering. "The police are searching the basement of the bowling alley. Shawn found a list of names and numbers, most of it smudged." He glanced down at his friend as he wrote out letters and spaces, trying to fill in the blanks. "We're hoping they'll give us some suspects."

Henry nodded. "Alright... you've got a little less than thirty minutes to figure it out here, before our guests arrive." Slapping the last burger onto the pile, he turned to see his son still working on the puzzle. "Shawn, I'm going to need your full attention when they get here."

The pen stopped its motion at his father's serious tone. "What? Why?" Shawn asked, finally looking at the older man in front of him.

Henry hesitated a moment, appearing to be organizing his thoughts. "I'm not sure..." At his son's questioning look, he continued, "There's something... odd about this girl, I just need you to pay close attention to her... see if you can figure it out."

Shawn turned to Gus, who shrugged passively, then gazed back at his father, "You want me to analyze some girl you invited to dinner? What? Is she scaring the neighborhood animals or something?"

Henry frowned in slight annoyance. "No-" He crossed his arms, turning his eyes away as he spoke. "It was just something strange I noticed. I just want to see if there's more going on. Her parents are joining us, too."

Shawn gaped a bit. "Her parents? How old is she?"

"I'm twelve and a half!" a cheerful voice called from the doorway, the sliding glass door having been left open by Henry for faster access to his grill.

The three men occupying the kitchen turned to see the blond preteen. The smile on her face blinked away as she realized her early presence in the house might not have been welcome. "Mom let me come over early, is that okay?" Her question was aimed at Henry.

"Of course!" He smiled after his surprise had settled. "Actually, why don't we all go outside. These patties are ready to hit the grill, and you can meet my son and his friend."

Her smile reappeared before she nodded and ran back outside, Gus following after while Shawn made Henry hang back, obviously needing to talk. They heard the back door slide shut before the hushed yells started.

"You brought me here to analyze a _twelve year old_?!" Shawn started, glaring at his father.

"Look," Henry lifted his hands, trying to calm his son, "I know it seems strange-"

"_Strange_? Of course it does, dad!" He kept his voice low as he began to pace. "She's _twelve_!"

The elder Spencer dropped his arms in exasperation. "I know! But just humor me! I want to make sure there's nothing going on with her family."

Shawn was about to berate his father again when the sliding door opened and Gus leaned in. "Hey, you two should probably get out here." The father and son turned, one ready to agree, the other wanting more time to discuss the situation, but something in Gus's voice and expression caused them both to nod and step towards the door.

As the backyard came into view, so did the young girl. She was staring at them, a mix of concern and sadness on her face. It flitted away in seconds as the two Spencer men stepped into the backyard and she began to ask questions concerning dinner. This easily pulled Henry away from the other two men and distracted the girl.

"Dude! Could you hear us, or something?" Shawn asked in a whisper, worried that they might have scared the kid.

"No, everything was fine when we got out here," Gus started. "She was saying something about a dessert her parents are bringing and then she just stopped." His expression became more serious. "It was freaky, Shawn. She just stared at the door... said you two were angry."

Shawn gave his friend an odd look before turning back to look at the girl and his father, who were still talking. "Okay... that's strange."

"You're tellin' me." Gus followed his gaze.

"You two," Henry caught their attention. "I'd like you to meet Jenna McGillie. Jenna, this is my son, Shawn and his friend Gus." The boys waved, pushing away the weird feelings and giving the girl toothy grins.

The next fifteen minutes were spent talking about the neighborhood, the beach, and stories from when Shawn and Gus were kids. Jenna's parents arrived soon after, her mother holding a pie.

Introductions were made quickly, Sally and Todd McGillie taking seats next to their daughter. The burgers were ready a little while after, served with chips and soda.

"So," Todd spoke as he placed a piece of lettuce on his burger. "What do you two do for a living?" His question was aimed at the two younger men at the table.

"Gus and I have our own detective agency. A _psychic_ detective agency," Shawn answered with a goofy grin, ignoring the huff from his father and the semi-annoyed look on Gus's face.

The three guests shot their gazes towards him with surprise, Jenna struggling with the expression as she chewed around a bite of hamburger.

"You two are psychics?" Sally asked, her burger half-forgotten.

"No, no, just Shawn," Gus corrected. "I'm his partner."

The parents nodded in understanding while Jenna kept staring, unblinking at Shawn.

_Dude..._ Shawn thought, picking up his burger, _dad was right. There's something odd about this girl_... He'd been watching her since they all moved outside, and until now she'd seemed to be acting normal... if you didn't count what Gus had told him. Now she was looking at him like he'd grown a second head that resembled Big Bird from Sesame Street.

Not wanting to remain in the uncomfortable feeling that was creeping up on him, he took a rather large bite of his burger and realized the mistake a second later. A sharp, throbbing pain shot through his lower jaw and he suddenly remembered the hit he'd taken.

Not wanting to alarm anyone, especially not his dad, he kept his expression neutral, his slower chews the only indication that something had changed. However, it didn't seem anyone was paying attention to him anymore. Instead, concerned eyes had turned to Jenna and her burger that had fallen roughly onto her plate. He swallowed his food before his mouth dropped open slightly, realizing she was holding her jaw, her eyes clenched shut as if she were in pain.

_What the... what is going on_? He watched as the girl's mother ran a hand in circles over her daughter's back. He didn't notice as the pain in his jaw finally faded until Jenna unclenched her eyes and looked up at the group in confusion.

Shawn's first thought was that it had only been a coincidence, that they had experienced pain... in the same place... at the same time. But the look on her parent's faces was enough for him to realize there was more to the girl than they were letting on. He wanted to know what that was... and he knew a way that could get him some answers.

Squinting as he placed two fingers over his right temple, he spoke. "That... didn't come from the burger... did it." It was more of a statement than a question.

The three figures across from him were quiet, Jenna looking expectantly to her mother, then to her father. Both remained silent. Finally, the girl turned back to him and shook her head, much to her parents' surprise._ So, they are hiding something! Score one for me!_

Theories started to fly through his head as to what this secret might be; parents who don't believe in dentistry, pain to see other people eating, war flashbacks... okay maybe not war flashbacks, but possibly public school flashbacks! He remembered those days could be rough.

It wasn't long before the husband confessed. "Look... not many people know this, for Jenna's sake. We're just trying to protect her..." He trailed off before moving his gaze to Shawn. "You could probably understand."

Shawn raised a brow, unsure of what that last statement implied. A quick glance at his father and Gus offered two shrugs of equaled confusion. He turned back to the man, hoping for some clarification.

His answer came from the mother. "Our daughter... is an empath."

An awkward silence fell on the group, the two parents seeming to hold their breath, waiting for a reaction to their revealed secret.

Jenna was watching Shawn and he was returning her gaze, only drifting towards his father and Gus as he tried to ask what an empath was.

"I can feel what other people feel." He hadn't expected the girl to speak, and the fact that she had answered his unspoken question was enough to fill in the blanks he needed.

_She's a psychic!_ Shawn's mind exclaimed. _Kind of a weird way to explain how she was acting... but hey!_ His thoughts started to wrap around an idea. _S__he'd make for an awesome interrogator! She could help me get under dad's skin, not to mention Lassie's... Dude! A whole new advertisement: Psych Now in smaller packages! _

A small laugh came from across the table and he finally realized Jenna had been watching him with an amused smile on her face. He returned it and turned to the other occupants at the table.

"Apparently, we're okay with this." He wiggled a finger between himself and the girl. He moved his gaze to Gus, who promptly smiled and nodded in agreement, then to Henry who glared disapprovingly at the ideas he knew were floating through his son's head.

At the apprehensive expressions on the parents' faces, Henry raised up a hand in assurance. "Don't worry, your secret's safe here." He lowered his hand, addressing Sally and Todd again. "You home-school your daughter, right?"

It was more an observation on Henry's part than a guess, considering it was a school day and the girl had come by during school hours. It was the fact that she could feel what other people felt that gave him a deeper understanding as to why they didn't put her in a school full of self absorbed teenagers and bullies.

When the parents nodded, their mouths opening in slight awe, Shawn cut in. "If I may ask," he caught their attention before continuing in his pseudo-serious tone, "What training have you given Jenna with her abilities?"

A bit taken back by the question, it took a moment for Sally to answer. "Well... mostly she's been learning how to block feelings out. She's able to read people if she looks directly at them or thinks about them." She ended softly, sounding almost sad.

"Keeping her safe from the emotions around her," Shawn continued, his hands folding on the tabletop. "It's understandable. I, too, was burdened greatly by my abilities as a child, so I can imagine how Jenna must feel." He didn't miss the tight clench forming in his father's jaw, or the piercing glare being sent his way. He also noticed the intent stare the twelve year old was still giving him as she listened to his experiences. When her eyes brightened with the spark of excitement, he wasn't altogether prepared for what she was about to do next.

Shawn, Gus, and Henry watched in surprise as Jenna turned quickly to her mother and giddily spoke. "Mom! Mom! Can Shawn teach me how to be a psychic? Please-" Her begging continued on, unheard by most of the group as they glanced at each other in confusion.

Shawn's confusion dissipated soon after, replaced by amusement. She'd just made this a bit easier for him. He'd been struggling through ideas to convince the girl's parents to let him teach her how to use her powers; not that he knew how... exactly, but having an ally who could read a person's guilt was more than he could pass up.

A duo of no's sounded from both fathers at the table, although Mr. McGillie's was a bit softer while Henry's was aimed at his son. Jenna quickly turned to her father, a sad and slightly frustrated look crossing her face at his disagreement.

"But dad," she countered, desperate to make her case, "I wanna be able to do what Shawn does and help people! I don't want to hide anymore..." At that last statement, Shawn could see her parents falter in their decision and eventually they turned to address him.

"It's a lot to ask, but would you be able to help?" Mrs. McGillie asked, still sounding hesitant.

Before Shawn could answer, his father was up and yanking him to his feet. "Would you excuse us... I need to talk to my son for a moment." Without letting the couple answer, he pulled his son by a fistful of shirt into the house. Shawn caught the worried look that crossed Jenna's face, his own nerves twitching in concern as he remembered her reaction to their earlier fight.

Henry slid the door shut behind them before marching into the kitchen and spinning to face his son. However, Shawn was intent on disrupting the dispute immediately. His gaze stern, he lifted a hand to halt his father.

"You need to calm down," he stated, hand still raised.

"Calm down?! Shawn-" Henry was cut off before he could continue.

"Jenna is out there, most likely thinking of us and probably feeling every ounce of anger that I'm pretty certain is in your head right now." The seriousness in Shawn's tone was enough to send a flicker of understanding into the elder Spencer.

"Fine..." He took a deep breath, calming his emotions before he started smoothly. "You're not a psychic. You can't teach this girl how to be one. Plus, she's twelve... She can't go around with you to crime scenes or the station."

"I didn't say I was going to take her to crime scenes," Shawn defended evenly.

"You didn't have to, I know how you think, and you're just trying to find a way to involve her in your business." His lips thinned in determination.

"But you heard her, dad. She wants to use her abilities, and what better way than to help stop bad guys?"

"She's _twelve!_" Henry hissed, before closing his eyes in frustration to push the anger back again.

Calmly, Shawn looked straight into his father's eyes, "And I was younger than that... at least she has a choice." He didn't give his father a chance to respond as he turned, opened the door, and stepped outside again.

Shawn was greeted by three concerned faces and one confused one. He smiled to Jenna and her confusion lifted, returning a smile back to him. At least they'd been able to keep her out of the argument. He took his seat again and watched as his father emerged, sliding the door back before moving to his own seat.

_Wow... she makes fights with my dad easier..._ he thought with a smile. "I'd be glad to help. If you would like, she could come here and my father could help, as well? He did have a hand in how I honed my skills." He flashed his dad a lopsided grin.

"Can I? Please?" She looked to her mom and dad expectantly.

"I guess so, if Shawn and Mr. Spencer are okay with it." Todd looked for confirmation, which Shawn quickly gave before his father could put his opinion on the table.

"Absolutely! She can come by tomorrow if she'd like?" Jenna gave Shawn a toothy smile, happy with the idea, both parents nodding. A time was set for a little after lunch, when she had finished her school work. That out of the way, they continued to eat their dinner.

_Tbc..._

oOoOoOo

And thats the end of that chapter! Next one should be up tomorrow or Friday :D we'll see! Again, thanks for reading, and if youre at all interested in learning more about miss Jenna, please feel free to ask! Ive got pictures and a livejournal for her :P silly yes but oh so much fun.

Lots o' love!

Tippy


	3. Chapter 3

AN - Alright!! This should be fun! This is actually the first Psych fic I ever wrote. However, there was one I was able to post before this one XD I had to finish this one first. I broke it up into separate chapters for easier reading... I hope!

Anyway! I hope yall enjoy the story! And thanks in advance for reading!

Feel Outside the Box

By Tippy

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Shawn and Gus waved to the trio as they headed home, Jenna skipping away in front of her parents. Henry was clearing the dishes quietly, but the growing anger that all three knew was coming started to show as he moved into the kitchen.

The younger Spencer was more than tempted to bolt, already pulling Gus's keys out of his pocket, to his friend's dismay, and heading for the door.

"Shawn!" The sharp call left little room for mistake; his father was angry. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and every ounce of him wanted to run out the front door. A hand gripped his shoulder and spun him around. Now face to face with his father, he was surprised to see the slight resigned expression that betrayed the man's anger. "Look, I'll go along with this for Jenna, help her out a little... but you are not to put her in harms way in any shape or form, do you hear me..."

"I wouldn't do that!" Shawn defended, but his father looked skeptical. "Okay, maybe to Gus... and occasionally a cat... but not a kid barely in her teens!"

There was silence for a while before Gus allowed a sigh of relief to escape as Henry finally backed off. "You better be here early tomorrow..." Another stern, no-other-choice glare at Shawn was all he gave before heading back into the kitchen.

The two young men left through the front door moments after, jumping into the small, blue car and driving off.

It wasn't until they had almost made it back to the Psych office that Shawn realized he'd forgotten something.

"Duuuude..." Shawn droned, bringing a hand up over his face.

Gus glanced at his friend, his brow creasing. "What?"

The pseudo-psychic let his hand drop, "I forgot the paper I was working on... it's still on my dad's kitchen table..."

Gus didn't say anything for a moment, confused about why this would be a problem. "So? Can't you just redo it at the office?"

"Not the problem... I finished it and now my dad has a copy." Shawn paused, thinking the situation over before he let a half-smile crawl across his face, "I guess it's not too much of a problem... he could inadvertently help out."

"Alright, then. Problem solved," Gus declared as he pulled to a stop in front of their office.

They stepped out of the car, Shawn checking to see if his bike was still parked where he'd left it before unlocking the front door and stepping into the quiet building.

"I'm pretty sure I've got the paper figured out." He grabbed a notepad from the nearest desk and began scribbling out the names and numbers.

Gus watched patiently, leaning against his desk, his arms crossed. There was little doubt in his mind that Shawn had figured out what the clue meant, which should have made him happy. But a voice in the back of his head was screaming 'trouble'. What frightened him the most was knowing that his friend wouldn't go straight to the police... no, he'd want to go check things out, snoop around, see if he was right, which usually lead to some close calls for the both of them. However, tonight, he hoped he was wrong and Shawn would have enough sense to get the police involved immediately. _If I'm lucky... _which he usually wasn't...

"What do these look like to you?" Shawn had finished writing out the information and spun the pad around, handing it to Gus.

He read over the lines of writing, one brow lifting in surprise. "These look like addresses and times... for the next fight?"

"Most likely." Shawn paused, and the look that Gus dreaded the most crossed his friend's face. The next statement was interrupted before he could continue.

"No way, Shawn!" Gus almost shouted. "There is no way we're going to go over there! If we got caught, we'd be dead! End of discussion!" Shawn looked about to protest. "No! And I'm not letting you drag me into it." Without another word, he grabbed his car keys and turned to leave the office.

"Dude, we'd be like Brad Pitt and Edward Norton in Fight Club... except that'd mean we're the same person... and I'm not sure how that works... but it'd be fun!" Shawn spouted with a little too much enthusiasm.

Gus didn't respond, instead pushing through the front door, leaving his partner alone in the office, note pad hanging by his side.

"Fine… I'll just have to do this myself." He paused for a moment, looking down at the paper. Scoping out the place right now would do him little good, considering the fight was scheduled for tomorrow evening. _Catch them while they're setting up?_ he asked himself before making the decision to head over after lunch. _And Gus might be willing to come then! _

There was little for him to do now. He had his locations and times, which should have been good enough, but without something solid he wasn't willing to make the mistake. Grabbing his bike keys from his desk drawer, he headed out.

oOoOoOo

It was fifteen after noon when Henry heard the skid of wheels on sidewalk and the creak of his gate opening. He had to admit she was good with time management. He wasn't expecting Shawn until one or one thirty. He laughed to himself. _Maybe Shawn could learn a thing or two from Miss Jenna._ Stepping through the open back door, he smiled at the empathic girl as she parked her bike next to the fence.

"Hey! You like being early I see." He'd crossed his arms as he watched her walk towards the porch.

She giggled, realizing he wasn't upset with her. "I don't like being late, and I finished all my work, so I came over."

He nodded. "Well good, maybe you could teach my son to be as prompt. Have you had lunch?"

Shaking her head, she smiled. "Nope, I brought it with me. There's some for you too if you want it?"

He finally noticed the bag she had sitting in the bike's basket. "I'd love some. What did you bring?"

"Chicken and grape salad sandwiches. Mom helped me make them." She smiled proudly. "I brought apples, too."

"That sounds perfect. I think I have some ice cream. Would you like some for dessert?" He'd been planning on having a burger left from the day before. Fresh chicken salad sounded much more appetizing now that he thought about it. When he caught her bright smile and nod, he nodded back in finality. "Alright then! Shall we eat outside?" he said cheerily. It was an odd feeling, but not unwelcome, especially when he had become accustomed to annoyance, anger and frustration with his son.

Jenna nodded and turned back to her bike, pulling out the bag of food stuffs and setting it on the picnic table.

The next hour went by with the two eating their lunch and dessert, talking about Shawn's 'psychic abilities' and how they worked. At some point after the meal, Henry had asked about Jenna's abilities. She explained how she had been able to connect with other people's feelings, be it emotions or physical senses.

"How far can you reach someone?" Henry asked. When he didn't get an immediate answer and the girl looked at him with confusion on her face, he elaborated. "Would you be able to tell what someone else is feeling if they're, let's say, across town?"

She paused for a moment, thinking over the question. "Sometimes I can tell how dad is feeling when he's at work, but that's only if I think about him really hard."

Henry nodded and checked his watch. One thirty had come and still no sign of his son. "Do you want to try that out? See what Shawn is feeling right now?"

"He's late, isn't he." He was surprised at the statement. He was about to ask, when she clarified. "You got a little annoyed when you talked about him."

Henry gave a lopsided grin. "Yes, he's late, but that's not unusual. How about we try and figure out what he's up to. You tell me what he's feeling and I'll see if I can figure out what he's doing."

She smiled and nodded brightly. "Do you have a picture of him? It's easier to focus when I can see his face." Henry nodded and went inside, coming out soon after with a small, framed photo of Shawn and himself during Christmas. Shawn wore a red Santa hat and a goofy smile as he stood next to his less than enthused father.

Handing the picture to Jenna, she let out a small giggle. Henry rolled his eyes and took a seat next to her.

"Alright, concentrate on Shawn and tell me what he's feeling." The instruction quieted her giggles and Jenna turned focused eyes to the younger of the two in the photo.

A long, quiet moment passed as she stared at the image, her features portraying determined focus. Henry was about to speak when a sharp intake of breath from the twelve year old stopped him. For another moment, she said nothing and he couldn't help his impatience.

"What is it?" He spoke low and even.

"Panic." Her eyes remained on the photo. "Scared. Something's wrong." Henry was about to explain that Shawn was probably just now realizing he was late and knew how angry he would be with his son, but when Jenna let out a sharp yelp and grabbed her left elbow his stomach flipped with concern. The pain vanished from her face however as the picture fell to the ground. Her brown eyes looked over to him in concern and fear as she understood what had just happened.

Henry quickly jumped up and pulled his cell phone from his pocket and flipped it open. Finding his son's number, he hit send and pressed the receiver to his ear.

"Dad!" Shawn's breathless voice sounded and Henry let out the breath he'd been holding. "I'm a little busy."

"Shawn, where are you?" he demanded, his concern turning to anger.

"I'm-" His son's response was cut off as a muffled thud followed by a sharp crack sounded, the phone hitting a hard floor.

"Shawn?" Henry called in concern, but his only answer was the phone snapping shut and silence.

oOoOoOo

What was it with his luck this week? Maybe it was just a bad streak... a bad streak that was probably going to get him killed!

The day had started off with a number of calls to Gus. It didn't seem any form of convincing could get the pharmaceutical salesman away from his work, and when his last call went straight to voicemail, Shawn knew he'd be going in on his own.

He'd made it to the warehouse and inside pretty easily, situating himself atop a stack of crates near the window he'd climbed through. Using the camera he'd borrowed, flash off, he'd even taken a few pictures of the ring setup. Everything had been going fine, until he realized his boxes weren't stacked for proper stability.

One moment he'd been moving back towards the window, the next, he was swinging his arms for unobtainable balance. Thankfully, he hadn't been too high up and he'd only managed to bang his left arm against one of the crates as he landed. The pain was quickly forgotten, however, as shouts filled the warehouse and running footsteps started in his direction.

He'd pushed himself up and ran behind more crates, trying to locate a ground exit. When his cell phone rang, he nearly cried out in surprise, his heart fluttering at the overly loud noise.

It had been his dad. _Great._ "Dad!" He tried to keep his voice low through pants of breath. "I'm a little busy." His father sounded worried as he asked him where he was. "I'm-" His answer was cut short when a fist smashed into his jaw, throwing him back to the ground, the phone flying from his hand and skittering across the cement floor.

Now, still laying on his back, Shawn found himself looking up into the face of a very angry, _very_ large man. He was soon joined by another, and together they hauled the fake psychic to his feet, dragging him out into the open warehouse.

Six more figures approached them, one of which was Nathan Porter, one of the main suspects the police had on file. He appeared to be the ring leader, motioning to one of the other men to step forward.

Shawn flinched as a well built man stepped forward and grabbed the camera that hung around his neck, pulling it over his head in one quick movement before ripping out the film and throwing the device on the floor. The fake psychic cringed as he watched the camera bounce off the concrete. His secretary was going to kill him.

"What should we do with him, Nate?" the man holding Shawn's right arm asked, his grip tightening.

"You could let me go?" he offered pitifully. "I mean, I really didn't see anything. Just a big warehouse with guys working, right? No need to-" He was cut off yet again, this time by a fist to his gut. His knees buckled as he tried to curl in on himself. "Okay... maybe not," he wheezed out.

"Put him with the others. He can participate in the fight tonight." Nate spoke, pointing to a door on the other side of the warehouse. With a nod from his two captors, Shawn found himself being dragged roughly to the makeshift prison.

"By participate, he means holding up round cards, right? I mean, I can't say I wouldn't look good in a bikini, but I don't know how the people watching would react." The two men didn't say anything as they unlocked to door and pulled it open. Before Shawn could say anything else, he was thrown inside and the door shut behind him. _Seriously! Ow..._ he grumbled to himself as he rubbed the arm that had taken the brunt of his fall. Looking around the small, dimly lit room, he caught the gazes of five other figures, all of which looked tired. Dark purple and blue bruises discolored their swollen cheek bones and jaws. _Yeah... This doesn't look good..._

Tbc...

oOoOoOo

Yay! Chapter one! So the story is actually finished as previously mentioned... sorta... I split it up into 5 chapters so itll be an easier read D It might be 1 or 2 days before i post the next chapter! Hope yall enjoyed the start!

Thanks for reading and Lots o' love!!

Tippy


	4. Chapter 4

AN - Alright!! This should be fun! This is actually the first Psych fic I ever wrote. However, there was one I was able to post before this one XD I had to finish this one first. I broke it up into separate chapters for easier reading... I hope!

Anyway! I hope yall enjoy the story! And thanks in advance for reading!

Feel Outside the Box

By Tippy

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Henry paced the length of his backyard as he held the cell phone to his ear. Jenna still sat at the picnic table, worriedly watching the older man as he made another turn. He'd already tried his son's phone again, receiving no answer. After trying Gus and only getting the man's voice mail, the worried lines on his brow deepened. There was only one more place he could try.

"_Detective Lassiter," _Carlton's stern voice answered, causing Henry to stop.

"Detective! This is Henry Spencer, I need to know if you've heard from or seen my son today." His voice left no room for question or argument.

"_No, last time I saw him was yesterday."_ Lassiter paused in thought._ "Why?"_

Henry frowned, "I just called him. He got cut off and I think it has something to do with that underground fight club case."

He heard the hushed curse from the detective before he spoke. _"Do you have any idea where he might be?"_

"No-" Henry stopped as his thoughts went back to the kitchen table, "Wait..." He didn't elaborate as he ran inside to the kitchen and saw the paper from the day before still laying on the table.

"_What? Do you know where he is?"_ Lassiter sounded impatient.

The elder Spencer placed a finger on an address marked with the day's date and a time. "Yes... I think I do." He quickly read the detective the address before hanging up. Turning around, he finally noticed Jenna standing in the doorway, her eyes on him, worry still pulling at her frown. Placing a hand on her shoulder and bending to her eye level, he spoke. "I need you to get back home. I have to go find Shawn."

She didn't move immediately. "Is he going to be okay?"

He couldn't see the point of lying to the psychic, so he gave a vague "I don't know." He could see his own fear punctuated on the girl's face and he added, "But I'll call when we find him, okay?" When she nodded, he turned her around and gently led her outside. She was on her bike and out of sight a minute later and he quickly turned, grabbed his keys and headed for his truck. _You better be okay, kid._

oOoOoOo

He'd been in the small room for about half an hour and he'd already learned that most of the people the police were searching for were sitting around him. Apparently, some of the captives had been killed. Not by the other fighters, but by Nate Porter's men for disobedience. Seemed the ringleader preferred cooperation over resistance. _Good to know._

He, along with his other cellmates, was a bit surprised when the door opened again and two men stepped inside. It wasn't time for the fights to begin, so something had to be up. The goons made their way to Shawn and roughly grabbed his upper arms, pulling him to his feet.

"Ow, hey! Seriously, make up your mind! Inside or out!" It appeared _out_ was their choice and a sharp backhand to his already sore cheek was enough to quiet his banter.

"Who were you speaking to?" Nate demanded as he stood in front of the slightly dazed fake psychic.

Shawn raised a brow, "Well, these two actually." He gestured to the two holding his arms. A quick nod from Nate to the man on his left, and he was already regretting his answer as the goon twisted his arm behind him and gripped the hair on the back of his head. He let out a sharp hiss as the man jerked with both arms.

"On this," Nate held up the cell phone. "Who were you talking to?"

"My dad," Shawn started, figuring there was no point in lying. "He wanted to know why I was late for lunch." Narrowing his eyes, he watched the leader's face. "Why?"

"There's a detective outside asking questions." Anger was evident in Nate's voice as he stepped closer. "They don't have a warrant, so they're not going to be coming in any time soon." He leaned in, his eyes portraying the anger that was in his voice. "You better hope they don't get one... otherwise, you're the first to die.

"Alright!" Nate called to his men. "It's time to get out, leave the ring and get the fighters to the truck. They're of more value than the gear!" To the men closest to him he added, "We'll torch the place when everyone's out, got it?" The men nodded and got to work moving the people out of the small room. "Bring him."

The two men holding Shawn quickly followed after their leader as he headed to the center of the warehouse, where a support beam stood. Grabbing some chain, rope, and a lock, he threw the rope to one of the men.

"Tie his hands. He stays here until we're ready to leave." The men obeyed, tightly binding Shawn's wrists, before pushing him against the metal beam.

"This really isn't necessary," he protested, letting out a pained grunt as they tightened the chain over his chest and stomach. "Really! I can just go tell them this isn't the place! Send them somewhere else!" The click of the lock sounded, crushing any hope of that idea working. A second later a heavy fist slammed into his cheek, sending flashes of stars across his vision. He fought to remain conscious, needing to focus on the events around him, but a second blow pushed the darkness into his mind and his chin fell against his chest as his body went slack.

He didn't hear as Nate gave the order to leave him in the building when they set it on fire if the police made it inside.

oOoOoOo

Jenna lay on her stomach, a pillow wrapped in her arms as she held her eyes shut tight. She'd gone home like Henry had said, but she couldn't help thinking about Shawn. The image of him in his Santa hat crossed her mind and she focused on it, desperate to know if he was okay. For a while, she could only sense his fear, not as strong as before, but still there. Not wanting to break that connection until she knew he was safe, she continued to stare at her mind's image.

A few more minutes passed; she wasn't sure how many, and she could feel his fear rise again. She muffled a cry into her pillow as a sharp stinging sensation filled her cheek and her eyes brimmed with tears. She held the pillow tighter, waiting for the pain to disappear, but after a minute there was a pressure on her wrists, making her want to move them. Another minute and she felt the first blow.

Her terrified, pain filled eyes flew open and she jumped off the bed, stumbling as the previous pain and concentration left her lightheaded. When she finally straightened up, she ran out of her bedroom door and into the kitchen. Her mother was by the sink, cleaning dishes.

"Mom!" She tried to keep her fearful voice low. "Do you have Mr. Spencer's cell phone number?"

The tears streaming down her daughter's cheeks startled Sally McGillie into dropping a plate back into the sink with a loud crash. "Sweetie, what's wrong?" She placed her hands on Jenna's trembling shoulders.

"I need to call Mr. Spencer. Shawn's hurt!" More tears spilled down her cheeks as she watched her mom hesitantly grab the phone off the counter. A moment later, Henry picked up.

"Mr. Spencer? It's Sally McGillie," the woman started. She paused as Henry spoke. "Yes, she's right here with me... Mr. Spencer, she said Shawn was hurt? Does that mean anything to you?" There was another pause as he spoke. "Yes, you can talk with her." She pulled the phone from her ear. "He wants to talk to you, okay?"

Jenna nodded and took the phone, "Mr. Spencer?" she sniffled.

"_Hey, what happened to Shawn?" _His voice was smooth and calm as he spoke.

"H-he got slapped, I think, his cheek stung... I think they also tied him up. His wrists hurt... and then he got hit in the face really hard. I think he's really hurt!" She was crying again.

"_Alright, the police are already here, so don't worry. We'll get him, okay?"_ Henry tried to soothe her fears.

"Okay..." she said quietly. On the other end, Henry said goodbye and she turned off the phone, handing it back to her mother before quickly wrapping her arms around the woman's waist. _Please be okay..._ She continued to cry, listening to her mother's words as she tried to calm her child.

oOoOoOo

Carlton Lassiter was resting his arm against the roof of his car, radio in hand as he waited for a warrant confirmation, when Henry Spencer practically ran up to him. His face was strained with worry and anger; towards whom, he couldn't be sure.

"What are you-" He was cut off as the elder Spencer raised his hand.

"It's Shawn," he began. "He's been attacked, hit a few times, we need to get in there." His stern eyes met Lassiter's, but without a warrant, there was nothing he could do right now.

"We can't, not without a warrant..." He pursed his lips, steadying himself for the onslaught of a worried father, when his brow furrowed. "Wait, how do you know he's injured? Did you see him? Did he call?"

Henry shook his head, appearing hesitant to answer. "I got a call, from someone who connected with him... psychically." It was obvious that wasn't the answer Henry wanted to give, and it certainly wasn't one Lassiter wanted to hear.

"You've gotta be kidding me." The head detective pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing this wasn't going to go well. "Look, even if there's another psychic who knows what's going on in there, we still can't do anything without that warrant. Now if you- Hey!"

Henry had brushed past him, headed towards the warehouse entrance. A hand on his arm didn't stop him as he yanked free.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Lassiter demanded.

"You may not be able to go in, but I can! Just come after me for breaking and entering! I don't care." Henry yelled, already headed towards the entrance again. "That's my son in there!"

Again, the detective grabbed the determined father's arm, this time halting his forward motion. For a split second, he thought Henry was going to punch him, but a call over his shoulder caught their attention.

"We got it!" Juliet O'Hara called from the door of her vehicle, a paper in hand.

"Alright!" Lassiter called to the gathered officers. "Everyone, follow my lead! This is a possibly hostile situation. Be aware of hostages. Two teams! You four with me." He pointed to four of the officers. "The rest are with O'Hara." Before they headed out, the detective turned to Henry. "Stay here." When the older man looked ready to argue, he added, "We'll get him out, but I can't have civilians in there. Stay here. We'll let you in when it's clear."

Henry didn't say anything, instead turned and walked back to the line of cruisers. Satisfied, Lassiter moved to his unit and headed for the entrance.

oOoOoOo

Nate cursed under his breath as he looked out the window at the advancing detectives and officers. It was time to leave.

Moving over towards the group, the last of the captives being hauled out of the small room, he started giving orders. "It's time to go, light the place and meet at the truck." The men nodded, pulling out lighters as Nate and the others, along with their prisoners, headed for the back exit.

oOoOoOo

Lassiter knocked hard on the door, waiting for the man from earlier to return. A minute passed with no answer. _Alright, here we go..._ Steeling himself for the next moment, he called out, "This is the police! We have a warrant to search the premises! Open up!"

They waited a beat, the detective's nodding their intent as no one answered. Lassiter tested the knob, finding it locked. "On three, one... two... three!"

With one swift kick, the door flew open. Guns drawn, the group rushed inside. Down a hall they hit another unlocked door and threw it open, only to falter backwards as a billow of smoke entered the hall.

"It's all on fire!" they heard O'Hara cry, covering her mouth and nose with her hand.

"Get outside! There's gotta be another exit!" Lassiter ordered as they headed out.

oOoOoOo

Henry was more than angry. He was furious... and terrified. His son was in that building at the hands of someone willing to hurt him, while he stood outside, helplessly waiting for the SBPD officers to do their job.

The father in him wanted to run in, head first and get his son away from those people, but the cop in him knew better... knew he'd only be in the way. He leaned against on of the police vehicles and brought his hands to his face, trying to rub out the lines of worry.

When he dropped his hands again and turned back to the entrance, he noticed the door was open again and the officers were coming out, headed towards the back end of the warehouse. _That wasn't long enough... what's going-_ His thoughts were stopped as he noticed the clouds of smoke billowing out of the doorway and windows of the warehouse. _It's on fire... Shawn!_ Henry stopped himself from running in immediately, logic saying that the fire was to get rid of the evidence. Shawn was probably at the back of the building with the others.

"_...I think they tied him up. His wrists hurt..."_

The girl's words came back to him... _and then he'd been hit... pretty hard apparently..._ Realization hit and he felt his heart drop. _He could still be in there..._ Without hesitating, Henry took off towards the entrance at full speed, determined to make sure his son lived through this.

Covering his mouth and nose with his hand, he ran through the smoke filled hall. At the end, he saw the bright red fire extinguisher attached to the wall. Grabbing it, he made his way down the steps and into the main area of the warehouse, stopping to take out the pin and put out the small flames lighting his path.

He was about to continue forward when a hand landed on his shoulder. Turning, he came face to face with an irritated head detective who also carried a red cylinder in his hands.

"Shawn's in here!" Henry clarified.

Lassiter called back, "You don't know that! But I'm not letting you go though this place alone!" He stepped forward. "Now let's get this done before the fire gets too big!"

Henry nodded and followed after the detective, both men putting out small flames as they went. It seemed the blaze was confined to the main entrance side of the building, the back half free of fire.

As the two men made it past the first half of the building, they noticed a limp figure tied against one of the support beams, dangerously close to the growing flames.

"Shawn!" Henry called, rushing forward. He set his extinguisher down, intent to check on his son. Lassiter followed, quickly dispatching many of the approaching flames. "Shawn?" There was no response. "Come on, kid. Wake up." He patted his son's cheek, earning a few pained groans. It seemed good enough.

"We have to get these chains off!" Henry called, circling around the beam.

The detective followed to where Henry stood and stared at the large lock that held the links together. "Get ready to catch him when I shoot this thing off!" he ordered and drew his gun, the older man complying.

When Henry was out of the way, Lassiter took careful aim at the lock before letting off two rounds into the hunk of metal. It splintered open, twisting to the side with a click as it hit the metal support. He moved forward and pulled the links free, letting them fall to the floor. Moving around the pillar again, he found Henry supporting an unconscious Shawn, an arm draped over his shoulder. Carlton took the other side, taking hold of the younger man's belt.

"There should be a back exit!" he called to Henry, pulling the two in the general direction. They had to maneuver around some fallen crates, but it was better than trying to get through the fire. Moments later, they found the exit; a single door located in the back corner.

Lassiter pushed it open, exiting sideways to make it through. Once outside, he noticed the truck and his officers already situating the cuffed individuals. He saw Nathan Porter staring at them wide eyed. Apparently, he hadn't expected anyone to find Spencer until after the fire was done.

Suppressing his anger and replacing it with a professional calm, he moved the two Spencer men away from the building and helped lay the unconscious one on the ground. "O'Hara!"

His partner, having assessed that the capture was complete, moved over to join him. Worry filled her face as she took in the sight. "Shawn!" she gasped.

"He's alive," Lassiter clarified. "We need EMTs and that fire needs be taken care of." She nodded and pulled out her phone.

A harsh cough caught Lassiter's attention and he turned back to see a semi-conscious Shawn being supported by his father.

"Slow, deep breaths, kid," his father instructed. "You're safe now."

_Tbc..._

oOoOoOo

Yay! Chapter one! So the story is actually finished as previously mentioned... sorta... I split it up into 5 chapters so itll be an easier read :D It might be 1 or 2 days before i post the next chapter! Hope yall enjoyed the start!

Thanks for reading and Lots o' love!!

Tippy


	5. Chapter 5

AN – This chapter took WAY too long to post x.x my bad! I got all caught up in graduation, moving and vacation that i forgot to post it. Anyway, I really hope you like it!

Heres the ending!!

Feel Outside the Box  
Chapter 5

By Tippy

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Shawn opened haze filled eyes, the pain in his head intensifying slightly as daylight hit his vision. A moan quickly turned into a harsh bout of coughing, and he found strong hands gently lifting him up. His father's voice was next to his ear.

"Dad..." He opened his eyes again and finally saw the man sitting next to him. Placing his hands on the ground, he slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position.

"How ya doing, kiddo?" his dad's concerned voice asked from beside him.

He groaned, either in pain or in annoyance of the name, he wasn't sure. "Just waiting for everything to stop spinning..."

"EMTs and the fire department are on their way," Juliet confirmed. "Hey, Shawn." He could hear the smile and relief in her voice.

"Hey, Jules," he answered in tired cheer. "Nice of you to come all the way out here just to save me."

He could imagine her smiling and rolling her eyes. "Actually Shawn, it was your dad and Detective Lassiter who saved you."

"Lassy?" Shawn sounded somewhat disappointed, turning squinted eyes to see the annoyed head detective. "I didn't know you cared! Thanks, Lassy-face." Before any reply could be made, Shawn's expression turned serious. "Did you stop Nate? They were headed out the back last-"

He was cut of by a simple raised hand from Lassiter. "We got 'em. The captives are being released as we speak."

Shawn nodded. "Good..."

It didn't take long for the EMTs and fire department to show, both quickly getting to work in their required areas. The fire was dealt with easily enough and Shawn was being checked over along with the other captives, most of who were suffering from minor cuts and bruises. Shawn had a minor concussion, but nothing requiring a hospital visit.

O'Hara had visited shortly after his release from the EMT check-up to get his statement. Once done, he'd been dragged off by his father towards the pickup.

"What about my bike?" Shawn protested as they made it to the truck.

"It'll be here tomorrow. I'll pick it up." Henry declared and got into the driver's seat. Shawn reluctantly got into the passenger side and shut the door.

As they drove back towards Henry's, his dad spoke. "How's your face?"

Shawn was silent for a moment as he considered the question. "It's fine... a little sore I guess." They turned down the street that would take them to the house, Henry silent after the answer. "Why?"

"We have to make a quick visit." It was a statement said in a way that he knew there was no debating it.

"Where?" He might as well know where they were going if he couldn't get out of it.

Henry didn't answer as he pulled into the driveway of a one story home. He turned off the engine before he spoke. "Here."

Shawn was confused. He'd never been to this house before. What was so special about it? Following his father out of the car, he glanced around, taking in the details. There was a two car garage with one car in it, the other door open. Inside was a work bench and power tools, nothing unusual. Beside the door that led into the house was a bicycle with a basket on the front. A kid's bike? At that realization, he suddenly heard the cry of a girl. He turned to see her standing on the front steps still holding open the door.

"Hey, Jenna!" He gave her a lopsided smile which she returned with a bright one of her own. Before he could take another step forward, she bounded off the step and ran towards him. He braced himself as she barely slowed down enough before wrapping her arms around his waist. "Ough!... ah.." He stopped, suddenly noticing the girl was shaking, small tears glistening at the corner of her eyes. "Hey... it's okay..." he spoke, trying to calm her down. He looked to his father for help.

"You remember when I called you?" Henry started, his hands in his pockets. Shawn nodded. "She's the one who figured out something was wrong."

He looked down at the girl still wrapped around his stomach before looking back to his father, somewhat confused. How would she know he was in trouble? Understanding hit him as he recalled the day before and his eyes widened. "Wait... but how? I was a pretty good ways away from here."

"I used a picture." She finally spoke, untangling herself and stepping back. "It's easier to know what people are feeling from far away when I look at pictures. You were scared, so your dad called you. He called the police and sent me home when they went to find you."

"You left the addresses on the kitchen table." Henry added. "After I found those, it wasn't hard to figure out where you were."

Shawn nodded in understanding. "What happened at the warehouse? Jules said you and Lassy saved me?"

Henry was hesitant to explain the rest in front of Jenna, but the outcome was still good, so he didn't see the point in hiding the facts. "The warehouse was on fire. The rest of the officers ran around back to check that exit for Nate and his gang. Detective Lassiter and I ran inside to find you."

"How'd you know I was still inside?" He didn't know his father to be someone who ran into a burning building without knowing for sure someone was inside.

"Jenna called me." Henry smiled to the girl. "She said you'd been tied up and hit, so I figured you might still be inside."

Shawn stared at his father for a moment, the words sinking in. He turned to Jenna who had quietly been listening to the interaction. "You felt that?" When she nodded, he felt a knot tighten in his gut. She felt his pain? That thought made him want to be sick, but as he looked into the slightly terrified eyes of the twelve year old staring back at him, he pushed the emotions away as best he could.

There was silence for a long moment before Shawn spoke again. "Sooo... you can feel this?" He pointed to his face.

She nodded. "It kinda hurts, but not a lot."

"Not a lot?" He sounded shocked, but Henry knew the tone. "I don't know, it hurts a lot to me... especially when I poke it." He made a gesture towards his face as if he were about to poke his slightly swollen cheek.

"Don't!" she giggled, his playful emotion catching her off guard.

"Are you sure it only hurts a little?" he teased.

She seemed to consider the question a moment. "Well... it'd hurt more if you poked it," she shot back, a smile on her face.

"That's true, but it still hurts." Henry shook his head as he watched his son pout in mock sadness.

Jenna giggled, finally realizing what to do. "Will a cookie make it feel better?"

Shawn smiled. "It might..."

Jenna turned and ran into the house, leaving the Spencer men standing outside.

"What are you doing?" Henry asked in annoyance.

"Lightening the mood. She's been upset for a few hours now... might as well make her feel better." He gave his dad a small grin. It quickly flashed to a smile as the girl came back outside, carrying two chocolate chip cookies.

"Will two cookies make it feel better?" She offered him the token.

"You bet it will!" He accepted the offering. "But only if you eat one with me." He held out one of the cookies.

"Okay..." She took the cookie. "But don't tell my mom. She doesn't want me spoiling my dinner."

Shawn laughed, turning to his father who raised a brow before heading back to the truck. Moving back to Jenna, he spoke, "I think that means its time for me to go. I'll eat this on the way home." He held up the cookie.

"Are you still gonna teach me how to use my psychic stuff?" That was unexpected.

"Of course!" He smiled, "How about you come get me tomorrow? I'll probably be at my dad's house, especially after what happened today. We can talk to your parents about when you can come over for lessons?" She nodded, still smiling. "Alright, then I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Okay!" He left her standing in the driveway, hopping into the passenger seat. He waved as his father pulled out and drove off.

"She's coming over tomorrow?" Henry asked for clarification.

"Yup."

"I'm not sure I like her being involved. Today was more than I ever want her to handle." His voice was serious as he drove, keeping his eyes forward.

"I know." Shawn let his eyes drop to his wrists, still red where the ropes had dug in. "But I'm not sure we have a choice. She wants to learn."

Henry nodded. "I don't see a way around it."

"Plus..." Shawn continued, returning his gaze forward.

"Plus what?"

"Plus... I get to have a protégée who can take over the Psych office for me!" His smile broadened as he caught the glare from his father. Ahh... nothing like something new to bug him with. He let his thoughts drift as the continued towards home.

The End.

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Yay! It's done! Sorry it took sooooo long to post x.x I really hope y'all enjoyed this story! I enjoyed writing it :D

There is extra information you can find for Jenna! Just check out my DeviantArt account (Marli) and/or a LiveJournal I've created for her (lil-jenna-m). Both have some interesting info about the little 12 year old!

Again, thanks so much for reading!  
Lots o' love!  
Tippy


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